Speed in SCI games

nathanel.mori · Post by **nathanel.mori** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:31 pm

How come that when the walking speed is set to maximum inside any SCI game, the character - while indeed walking faster - doesn't walk nearly as fast as it has back in the old days?

If I remember correctly, when the speed was at maximum, the character would cross the room in almost a flash, but in ScummVM they merely walk fast, thuogh not fast enough.

Also, in DOSBox the characters indeed do walk in the same speed that they used to 20 years ago on my old 386.

Anyone?

Freddo · Post by **Freddo** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 2:20 pm

When the walking speed was set to maximum, the character would pretty much just walk as fast as the hardware allowed.

If you ran the game on a slow computer, it would just be slightly faster, but if you had a too fast computer, it would be over in a flash.

I would guess the ScummVM team tries to make the game run as it would on a computer that was neither too slow or too fast.

nathanel.mori · Post by **nathanel.mori** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 2:24 pm

Your statement does indeed make sense. However, I compared the speed to BOTH an old 386 (which really isn't too fast for KQ6) and to the DOSBox simulation, which I assume is reasonable as well.

md5 · Post by **md5** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:19 pm

There is a speed throttler in ScummVM, stopping the game from running as fast as the hardware allows, but as fast as it should. This is why the fan made timer patches aren't needed: in the cases where SCI scripts were incorrectly allowed to run with no delay, we add a delay. Thus, putting the speed slider to maximum will allow Ego (the main character) to run very quickly, but not to instantly teleport

nathanel.mori · Post by **nathanel.mori** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:30 pm

Cool. Is it possible to add a throttler modifier in future versions?

md5 · Post by **md5** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 4:06 pm

nathanel.mori wrote:Cool. Is it possible to add a throttler modifier in future versions?

Why? What would be the benefit of this, other than to make Ego instantly teleport? I suppose we could add a debug command to disable the throttler, but I don't see the reason to do so... unless you have compelling arguments for such a feature?

nathanel.mori · Post by **nathanel.mori** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 5:33 pm

Let's not exaggerate. The speed I refer to is not REALLY teleportation. It's just really quick, but not instant.

My reason for wanting a throttle adjustability function is because many games contain large locations that require long and tedious walks from place to place.

So either you add an ability to double click on the next location so that Ego would be REALLY teleported there (like in The Dig and COMI, for example), or you add a throttle modifier which would provide extra flexibility in controlling Ego's speed.

What do you think?

MusicallyInspired · Post by **MusicallyInspired** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:08 pm

Why don't you just use DOSBox?

nathanel.mori · Post by **nathanel.mori** » Thu Nov 04, 2010 9:35 pm

A simple question... with an equally simple answer. ScummVM just "turns me on". I love the concept of it (ancient scripts actually running with newer resources, as opposed to DOSBox which has to simulate an entire OS), I love the "feeling" of it and the interface, and then of course - ScummVM gets tested for each game. If I find some silly performance issue while using DOSBox or - *God forbid* - a crash, then I'll have start all over... I've already had my fair share of occasional annoying glitches using DOSBox. They can really get to me. In fact, the sound still gets slightly chopped every 3-4 seconds whenever I use DOSBox.

ScummVM proved to be more reliable in that respect, and that's why I'm just dying for some final features to make the ScummVM perfect for me (SCI v2+3, speech+subtitles patch, and throttle modifier - in a descending order of course).

Raziel · Post by **Raziel** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 8:27 am

ScummVM is open source

You can do whatever you want to it as long as you follow the gpl and who knows if the patch you provide is in a decent state maybe it will even find its way to the main source tree...

Other than that *i* for myself wouldn't want the devs to waste time with features not needed and rather concentrate on bug fixing and implementing new engines

just my 2 cent

Serious Callers Only · Sat Nov 06, 2010 12:43 pm

Actual "teletransportation" would be difficult, since there are situational puzzles that don't allow you to go some places because of a hotspot in the middle of the path.

It could be done by just not speeding up & not displaying the ego & showing it when it is stopped by another script i guess (thought the last can be difficult too).

Look like something hard to do generally. And i use that mostly to cheat in QFG games anyway, that wouldn't be applied to this.

bobdevis · Post by **bobdevis** » Sun Nov 07, 2010 12:21 am

nathanel.mori wrote:Cool. Is it possible to add a throttler modifier in future versions?

If you would do this as a global feature and not as a tested-and-tuned-for-every-game feature, you will have a major usability trap on your hands.

People will put the delay on very-low to walk around as fast as possible. But then they will miss some info because some dialogue or event passed by without them noticing.
Then they will be stuck, confused, or in need of reloading a save-game they may no longer have.